FARGO, N.D. – The Guinness World Record for seeding wheat is held by an Australian farmer using a 120 foot Multiplanter. Phillip Coggan of Westmar, Queensland, seeded 2,237 acres of wheat in 24 hours, breaking the previous record by 740 acres. The twin 60-foot seeders were pulled by a 530 horsepower JD9630T rubber track tractor. […] Read more
Ron Lyseng
Stories by Ron Lyseng
Zero tillage production manual gets face lift
Zero till farming has evolved from discussions about opener design 40 years ago to in-depth studies of soil chemistry, biology and physics. Science now plays a much greater role. This fact prompted the Manitoba– North Dakota Zero Tillage Farmers Association (MANDAK) to rewrite its zero till production manual. The new manual, titledBeyond the Beginning: Zero-Till […] Read more
Can hopper bottom trailers replace the air cart?
Time and energy are consumed every time farmers transfer commodities like seed or granular fertilizer from one vessel to another. It’s no big deal in the yard because the tender truck can be turned around and returned to the field on time before the air cart runs dry. But when a half-million dollar seeding rig […] Read more
Good soil was gold for early settlers
When the glaciers retreated 16,000 years ago, they left a mess in some areas and deep piles of excellent soil in others. In many locations across the prairie provinces, the fine line between gravel and good soil is only a few hundred metres wide. The footsteps and ox cart tracks of the first European settlers […] Read more
Zero tilage has created soil legacy
The Prairies in the 1970s and early 1980s often resembled the Prairies of the 1930s. Wind and water erosion extracted a huge toll, costing farmers hundreds of millions of dollars. In one year alone, soil losses were estimated at $430 million in Alberta, $560 million in Saskatchewan and $44 million in Manitoba. Farmers did not […] Read more
Soil testing depends on sound strategies
The increase in soil testing is driven by fertilizer costs, a push for higher yields and the ability to extract more meaningful information from the analysis. “Soil testing got a bum rap for many years because of the way people interpreted the results. It was a misunderstanding,” said Terry Aberhart, an Agri-Trend crop adviser in […] Read more
Can soil inoculants replace fertilizer?
Nitrogen fixing inoculants have been in widespread use for decades, but is there a future for inoculants that will extract other nutrients from the soil? Inoculants are one of three fertility trends on the horizon, says Mosaic chief agronomist Dan Froehlich in Minneapolis. “First, we’re going to see more fertilizer banded at seeding time. This […] Read more
Products of a fertile mind
There’s a parallel between early prairie pioneers and prairie soil scientist John Harapiak. Both overcame major obstacles as they made their visions ripen to reality. Although the former chief agronomist and prominent researcher with Western Co-operative Fertlizers Ltd. is credited with a string of innovations, the Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) program was just about the […] Read more
Smash trash in one pass
FARGO, N.D. – Prairie farmers face a trashy dilemma. On the one hand, many have committed to the principles of zero till and direct seeding. On the other hand, an extended rainy cycle has resulted in more water than farmers want and unprecedented buildup of residue. Deep tillage was the old solution, but it’s a […] Read more
Raking rocks the Aussie way
FARGO, N.D. – A side delivery hay rake that’s hefty enough to handle rocks and roots would simplify the process of clearing new land. David Trevilyan builds that machine. The Australian farmer, inventor and manufacturer attended this year’s Big Iron Show in Fargo to introduce his Multi Farming Systems Rock Rake to North American farmers. […] Read more
